Allrecipes – August-September 2019

ALLRECIPES.COM 92 AUG/SEPT 2019

Many junk foods are vegetarian and even vegan. But although

a diet high in refined grains, fried potatoes, and drinks with

lots of added sugar may be technically plant-based, it isn’t

doing your body any favors. A healthy plant-based diet consists

of minimally processed whole grains, legumes, vegetables,

fruits, and nuts.

Protein is made up of different amino acids, nine

of which we must get from food. Animal sources

provide high amounts of those nine amino acids and

are considered complete proteins.

Plants are considered incomplete, because each

lacks at least one amino acid. But you can pair

two or more different plant sources that have

complementary amino acids to get complete

proteins. It’s the way humans have been eating

for centuries: Rice and black beans are incomplete

alone, but together form a complete protein.

Peanut butter is deficient in the amino acid

methionine, but spread it on whole-wheat bread

and you now have plenty. You don’t have to eat

these plant pairs at the same time; researchers just

recommend you eat them within the same day.

COMPLETE, INCOMPLETE

& COMPLEMENTARY

LACKS METHIONINE,

BUT CONTAINS LYSINE

black beans

peanut butter

hummus

tofu

LACKS LYSINE, BUT

CONTAINS METHIONINE

brown rice

whole-grain bread

whole-wheat pita

brown rice noodles

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PROTEINS

CAVEAT: THERE’S PLANT-

BASED JUNK, TOO.

*

VEGETARIAN: This diet includes animal by-products, such as

dairy and eggs, but excludes meat, poultry, and seafood.

*

VEGAN: This diet excludes all products made by and from animals.

10 - 35 %

THAT’S THE CRAZY-WIDE RANGE

(anywhere from 50 and 175 grams!) recommended

for how much of your total calories should come from

protein. The amount depends on your age, weight,

and activity level. You can meet this recommendation

without meat, from high-protein plants (at right). TOFU

½ cup cubed

= 10g protein

EDAMAME

½ cup cooked

= 8g protein

CHICKPEAS

½ cup cooked

= 7g protein

QUINOA

½ cup cooked

= 4g protein

PISTACHIOS

2 Tbsp. shelled

= 3g protein

LENTILS

½ cup cooked

= 9g protein

PEANUT

BUTTER

2 Tbsp. = 8g protein

BLACK

BEANS

½ cup cooked

= 7g protein

PEAS

½ cup cooked

= 4g protein

ALMONDS

2 Tbsp. = 4g protein

*

PLANT-BASED: This diet emphasizes foods from plants but does

not exclude meat or dairy.

*

PESCATARIAN: Fish and seafood are eaten in this diet, along

with eggs and dairy. Meat and poultry are excluded.

WALNUTS

2 Tbsp. = 2g protein

Food for Thought

GOOD FOR YOU